Thursday, July 29, 2010

Bitty Bottle Bib Tutorial

I've totally tested and refined these bibs on my own bitty baby, using them from birth through bottle feeding, teething and even for toddler snack time. These have also been gifted to many friends who love how absorbent they are, not to mention how well they wash and wear. I'm sharing the pattern and instructions with you along with some great tips on making these Bitty Bottle Bibs!

About the toweling: I've tried all kinds of toweling for this bib, and by far my favorite has been the Room Essentials towel sets from Target. (Like these bibs made from a bright fruit set.) Each set includes 5 towels, three solid colored and two prints; cut two bibs from each towel for a total of 10 brightly colored bibs! Look for new towel sets that hit the kitchen section of Target once or twice a year, and look for older sets being marked down to great clearance prices.

Get ready to sew!

Download PDF pattern file here, (print on 8 1/2" X 14" legal sized paper).Pattern instructions update!Since creating this tutorial for Through The Needle in February, I've found that it works best to fuse the interfacing to the toweling instread of the backing!These changes are reflected in these updated instructions.

ONE:Using the bib pattern provided, cut out the bib pieces. (If you are using the Target kitchen towels, fold short ends together and cut in half to create fabric for two bibs.) Folding the fabric in half, place the pattern on the fold and cut one from the toweling, one from the cotton backing, and one from the lightweight interfacing.

TWO:Following the manufacturer's instructions, fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the toweling.

THREE:Pin the bib pieces right sides together, using lots and lots of pins to help keep the layers from shifting. Leave a 3" opening along one long side for turning.

FOUR:Stitch with a 1/2" seam, toweling side UP on the sewing machine (remember to leave an opening for turning). Using a Walking Foot attachment will keep the layers from shifting while you sew. If you don't have a Walking Foot, use lots of pins and sew slowly to keep the layers from shifting.

FIVE:Trim the seam allowances to ¼". Clip inside curves close to the stitching, and cut notches in the outer curves.

SIX:Turn the bib right side out through the opening, using the blunt end of a chopstick or pencil eraser to help turn the corners smoothly. Press the edges of the bib flat, turning the seam allowances at the opening to the inside. Pin the bib layers together all around the edge to help keep the layers from shifting while topstitching.

SEVEN:Topstitch the bib close to the outer edge. Again, if you have a Walking Foot attachment, use it to help the layers from shifting.

EIGHT:Finish by adding snap closures to the ends of the bib. I use a snap attachment tool to attach snaps (I never got the hang of the little tool you use with a hammer). If you prefer hook and loop tape, stitch a small piece on each end instead of snaps.

That's all there is to it, this is a really easy project! Go make some bibs and have fun stitching!

Disclaimer: Feel free to follow this tutorial for personal use, but please don't use any of my photos or tutorials without my permission. Thanks!